Flue cleaner



H. D. GILL.

FLUE CLEANER. AFPLICATION FILED DEC.3. i920.

1 4, 943. Patented May 2, 1922.

NETE

HERBERT D. GILL, OF KME, PENNSYLVANIA, .ASSIGfNORy OIF ONE-HALF 'IOvCHARLES J. BRAHLER, OF Eltlll, PENNSYLVANIA.

FLUE CLEANER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. May 2, 1922.

Application filed December 3, 1920. Serial No. 428,063.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that HERBERT D; GILL, a citizen ofthe United States of Amer-ica, residing at Kane, in the county of McKeanand State oi Pennsylvania, has invented new and useful. Improvements inFlue Cleaners, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for cleaningboiler flues particularly of the fire tube variety wherein theinconvenience incident to the ordinary methods of blowing outthe tubesmay be avoided and which consist mainly in the fact that theaccumulations of dust and soot are blown forward into the lire box tothe discomfort and annoyance of as well as injur to the reman of otherattendants, and t erefore the particular object in view is to removesuch accumulations in such a manner as to discharge the same into thesmoke boX at the opposite end of the boiler from the lire box and toremove the accumulations successively from the tubes by suction ratherthan by a blast; and furthermore to provide an ap paratus for thepurpose indicated which may be readily appliedand adapted to boilers ofthe ordinary construction, and to equip the same with a suction nozzlewhich may be successively applied to a number of tubes within acomparatively extensive range of operation without removing thedischarge nozzle iromthe tube in which it is located; and with theseobjects in view the invention consists in a construction and combinationof parts of which a preferred embodiment is shown in the accompanyingdrawings, wherein Figure 1 is a sectional view of the apparatus with thedischarge nozzle fitted in a boiler tube.

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the same.

rllhe device consists essentially of a discharge tube 10 having a nozzle11 adapted to lit into a selected boiler tube indicated at 12, aninjector nozzle 13 in communication with a pressure supply pipe 14adapted to convey fluids such as steam or air under pressure andarranged to discharge axially th-rough the discharge pipe and nozzle,and a suction pipe 15 communicating with the discharge pipe in aposition to be aliected by the discharge from the injector nozzle 13 toinduce a current of air therethrough by suction, said suction pipeterminating in a nozzle 16 adapted for insertion in either of aplurality of boiler tubes t0 be cleaned. The discharge and suctionnozzles are provided with conical seating nipples 11a and 16arespectively, said nipples being detachably itted respectively upon thedischarge and suction pipe vends to provide for interchangeability orsubstitution of nozzles to correspond with the diameters of the boilertubes to be cleaned.

The supply pipe is fitted with a controlling transverse to the axis ofthe linjector nozzle and with its; outlet adjacent tothat of the injector nozzle and in alignment with the commu-nicatingportion of thesuction pipe, so that in the event of' the suction pipe becomingobstructed or choked by. accumula tionsl or soot or dust drawn thereintobythe action of the injector nozzle 13, the valve- 1.7 may be vclosedand the valve 18 opened to pro.

ject a jet of air or steam under pressure through. the nozzle 20 toremove such accumulation and restore the apparatus to an effectiveworking condition. Under normal conditions the by-pass valve 19 isclosed to permit the discharge oi the fluid under pressurev fromtheinjector nozzle to induce areturn circulation oi? airvthrough thesuction pipe to the end that the accumulations in the boiler tube inYwhich the suction nozzle 16 iS.

fitted to bel drawn through the suction pipe and ejected through thedischarge pipe and the boiler tube in which the latter is fitted andthence to the smoke boX and stack at the remote end of the boiler.

In order to provide for the application of the suction nozzlesuccessively to a plurality7 of boiler tubes to be cleaned, it isconstructed oi a looped form having the substantially parallel arms 152Land 15b oi which the former is terminally attached to the casing orcoupling 21 while the latter carries the suction nozzle, the oppositevends of said arms being connected for establishing communicationbetween said arms, and the loop being provided with a plurality oiSwivel joints oi which the'joint 24 is axially arranged in a positionperpendicular to the joints 22 and 23, so that the free or nozzlebearing end of the suction tube is capable of a swinging movement to thearm 15a as an axis and also to the v arm 15b as an axis, while thenozzle and the arm 15b are capable of a swinging movement in a planeparallel with the arm 15a by reason of the intermediate axiallyperpendicular joint 24C. The swivel joints referred to and illustratedconstitute nothing more than loose threaded connections at the pointsdesired. Also obviously the discharge tube 10 which is disposed in axialalignment with the boiler tube in which its terminal nozzle is fittedserves as the axis about which the entire apparatus may be rotated inextending the range of accessibility of the suction nozzle, so that itis possible with one adjustment of the apparatus or with its dischargenozzle seated in a boiler tube7 to arrange the suction nozzle inoperative relation with any one or all of the boiler tubes within anarea having` a radius equal to the combined lengths of the arms lL and15b of the suction pipe.

As a further means of obtaining an effective suction in the boiler tubeto be cleaned and in which the suction nozzle is fitted, there may beemployed a supplemental injector 25 fitted in the outer end of the arml5FL of the suction pipe in position to discharge longitudinally oraxially thereof, said nozzle being connected by a flexible tube 26 witha nipple 27 which is in communication with the pressure supply pipebetween the controlling valve 17 and the injector nozzle 13, to the endthat fluid pressure is connected through said supplemental injectormeans when the valve 17 is opened to produce a local suction at theouter end of the arm 15b of the suction pipe, ln the constructionillustrated the supplemental injector nozzle is suitably fitted in acoupling 28 which receives the end of the arm 15a of the suction pipeand the adjacent extremity of an elbow 29 by which the arm 15b isconnected therewith. A

Moreover it will be seen that in the manipulation of the device theradially disposed arm 15a of the suction pipe serves as a convenientgrip or handhold by which the apparatus may be grasped and maintained inproper relation with the boiler tubes which are under treatment7 thefreely movable elements of the suction tube being readily moved in onedl ect-ion or another to fit the terminal nozzle thereof in the severalboiler tube ends as the work of cleansing` the tubes progresses.

Having described the invention. what is claimed as new and useful is l.A flue cleaner having a duality of pipes in intercoinmunication7 meansfor producing a forced blast in one of the pipes and a suction in theother, said pipes being provided with terminal nozzles for respectiveengagement with the ends of boiler tubes,

one of said pipes being of looped form and provided with a plurality ofswivel joints.

2. A flue cleaner having a duality of pipes in intercommunication, meansfor producing a forced blast through one of the pipes and a section inthe other, said pipes being provided with terminal nozzles forrespective engagement with the ends of boiler tubes, one of the pipesbeing of looped form and provided with a plurality of swivel jointsarranged in axially perpendicular relations.

3. A flue cleaner having a duality of pipes in intercommunication, meansfor producing a forced blast through one of the pipes and a section inthe other, said pipes being provided with terminal nozzles forrespective engagement with the ends of boiler tubes, one of the pipesbeing of looped form and having a plurality of axially parallel andaxially perpendicular swivel joints.

4l. A flue cleaner having a duality of pipes in intercommunication,means for producing a forced blast through one of the pipes and asection in the other, said pipes being provided .with terminal nozzlesfor respective engagement with the ends of .boiler tubes, one of thepipes being of looped form and having a vplurality of axially parallelswivel joints and an intermediate axially perpendicular swivel joints.

5. A flue cleaner having a blow pipe and a suction pipe in communicationtherewith, said pipes being in communication with their adjacent ends inangular relation and having their remote ends provided with nozzles forrespective engagement with boiler tubes, and an injector nozzle disposedat the junction of said pipes in axial alignment with the blow pipe, thesuction pipe having an oflset or looped intermediate portion providedwith a plurality of swivel joints arranged axially in angular relation.

6. A flue cleaner having intersecting and communicating discharge andsuction pipes provided at their free ends with flue engaging nozzles, avalve controlled injector' nozzle disposed'at the junction of saiddischarge and suction pipes in axial alignment with the former7 and avalved by-pass having an injector nozzle disposed in axial alignmentwith the adjacent portion of the suction pipe.

7. A flue cleaner having communicating discharge and suction pipesprovided at their free ends with flue engaging nozzles. a valvecontrolled injector nozzle disposed at the junction of said pipes inaxial alignnient with the discharge pipe, and a supplemental injectornozle in communication S. il flue cleaner having communicating dischargeand suction pipes provided at their free ends with flue engagingnozzles, a valve controlled injector nozzle disposed at the junction ofsaid pipes in axial alignment with the discharge pipe, and asupplemental injector nozzle in communication with the suction pipe anddisposed in axial alignment with the suction pipe for discharge towardthe junction thereof with the discharge pipe, said suction pipe being oflooped form and having swivel joints arranged in axially parallel andperpendicular relations.

9. A flue cleaner having communicating discharge and suction pipesprovided at their free ends with flue engaging nozzles, a valvecontrolled injector nozzle disposed at the junction of said pipes inaxial alignment with the discharge pipe, and a supplemental` injectornozzle in communication with the suction pipe and disposed in aXialalignment with the suction pipe for discharge toward the junctionthereof with the discharge pipe, said suction pipe being of looped formand having swivel joints arranged in axially parallel and perpendicularrelations and said second named injector nozzle being in communicationby a flexible tube with the valve control supply of the first namedinjector nozzle.

In testimony whereof he afxes his signature.

HERBERT D. GILL.

